Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Book Review - Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood. (from Goodreads)

When I first saw the cover of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma I just knew it was going to be amazing.

Happily this is one of those books that you can judge perfectly by it's cover. Meaning it is; beautiful, haunting, magical, eerie, compelling and confusing.

The writing is absolutely masterful. The words take you by the hand and lead you into this world where the impossible is possible, where nothing is quite as it seems, and make it all seem so normal, you just accept it. It's a dark fairy tale.

Reading Imaginary Girls is like floating downstream in a boat on a perfect summer's day. Everything's slow and dreamy and beautiful. You're not quite sure where you're going, but you don't mind so much because it is all so lovely ~ just drifting through the water with Chloe and Ruby. Except every so often something will flicker past, you'll catch it out the corner of your eye, a dark shape which makes you feel vaguely uneasy. Then the flickers get more frequent and the boat starts to rock and. . . in you go.

I truly adored Imaginary Girls, but I'm not sure it's for everyone. If you like the first four chapter (click the link to read them), I think you'll love it though.

You should also check out Nova Ren Suma's blog where she writes beautiful and very honest posts about writing and life.

Nomes - This is definitely one book you can judge by it's cover! In fact if you love the cover I think you'll love the book. If the covers make you go what the heck is that about then probably not so much :)